Hammer-rest-rail-operating device for player-pianos.



E, ANSON.

ERATING DEVICE FOB, PLAYER PIANOS,

HAMMER R EST RAIL OP .ALITP'LIUATIQN FILED JUNE 30, 1913.

Pa'tentai 13 2 SHEETS-SHEBT l.

E. SWANSON. I T RAIL OPERATING DEVICE FOR PLAYER 2 1mm.

HAMMER mas APPLICATION P ILED JUNE 30, 1913.

m w a IlLLllNfil'ii, AQSIGNQR [E STEGER & SONS PIANO MANU- Hillfllitillllli-ItEtEEifiRAIIr-GPEBAEING DEVICE FQR PLAYERPIANOS.

Speciflcaltion of Letters Patent.

latented Dec. 23, 1913.

duplication filed June till, 1813?. ficrlhl No. 776,572.

To all whoa-n may concern Be it known tzhut l", Emit, dwsuoou, s citizen of the United States, residing at Ste/ oer, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful In provements in liummeo-llestlicilfiperuting Devices for Pluyer Pisnos, of which the following is a specification, reference being llitti to the accompanying drawings, forming thereof.

purpose of" this invention is to provide o ed const lion oi the devices for on i producing soil pedal ctieci in s player piuho by the movement the hummer rest rsil under the con. 1, of the operator by means oi push buttons or lays which control. pneumatic devices for moving the hammer rest; rail.

consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims.

in the drawings:Figure 1 is a vertical mound-slit section of u portion of e. piano embodying" this invention. Fig. it is an on lerged detail view of the parts specifically constituting the invention. Fig. 3 is a rear elevstion of a portion of the action compri: the hemmer rest mil, showing the division of the hammer rest rail and the relative position of the operating devices. Fig. is e detail vcrlpicel fore-snd-aft section one of the pneumatic units for operating the hammer restrsil at a vertical.

plane ihrough the axis of theprimury pneumutic valve The druwings show u piano action of customer-y construction, comprising the hammers, l, in their usual relation to the string board and manual (represented by one oi the manual keys, 2). The hammer rail shown divided, comprising two ifncmbers, 3 and 4:, the former for the lower on bass half and the latter for the upper or treble half of the instrument, each of said mem here being hinged to the operating bur, 7, by 711921138 of the arms, 5, 5, near the ends of the hummer rest rail members, said arms being pivoted at their lower ends to lugs, T, on the her, '2'. Both hammer rest rail members, 3 and l, are lodged upon the main han'uuer'rcshroil operating bar, 7, which, extends the entire length of. the piano action and is lodged upon the bracket, 6, of the action, t", to which. said bar, F, is pivotully attached by means of the arms, 6 rigid with said bar and pivoted to said frame at 6. The bar, 7, is connected at its 0 posite ends in the usual manner with the so tpedal for operation of the hammer rest rail by the foot when the instrument is used for manual playing. These customary connections for operating the hammer rest rail are not shown in the drawings, but may be of any customary construction. For operating the hammer rest rail during automatic playmg, there is mounted upon each end of the case a. pneumatic unit, A, the two units be- ,ing in all respects identical in construction, so that the some description will sutiice for both. They each comprise a block, 10, chambered and provided in its chambers with a primary pneumatic, 11, and valve, 12, operated thereby, and passages lead ing to a motor pneumatic, 13, mounted upon the block, as seen clearly in Fig. 4. The entire pneumatic unit is mounted, as stated, upon the end of the case at a position above the hammer action and substantially within the fore-end-uft depth of the space apportioned to the hammer action; and by being thus positioned, these pneumatic units are accommodated without interfering in any way with the hammer action, and with out protruding or requirin space farther forward then is required or the hammer action itself, so that all space forward of the hammer action is available, as is frequently desirable, for positioning the player action, including the roll carriage, trac (er box and pneumatic action below the same, all conventionally represented at B in Fig. 1.

The motor pneumatic, 13, is mounted, as

shown, with its moving member, 13,-at the rear, and is preferably hinged at the lower end, so that its actuating movement is derived from the upper end. On the side of the block, 10, there is fulcrumed a lever, 15, which is pivoted at its upper end to the upper end of the moving member, 13*, of the motor pneumatic, l3, and is slidable on its fulcrum by means of its elongated pivot slot, 15 and at us lower end engages a finger, 3" which is secured to the hammer rest rail and projects up therefrom for such engagement of the lower end of the lever, 15. The primury pneumatic, 11, is connected by a duct, 16, with a vent opening controlled with a valve, 17, which is mounted in any position convenient for manipulation by the operw tor. As illustrated, the duct terminates in a valve block, 18, mounted upon a slide, 19, supported under the piano foundation board, 20, and the valve, 21, for controlling 26, 19123. The two valves 21, 21, from the two pneumatic units, respectively, whose mo tor pneumaties aetuatc'the uppe and lower hammer rest rail members, respectively, be-

ing positioned side by side on the slide, 12), Y

can be operated simultancousl or separately by the two fingers ot' the performer, and v who will thereby control the expression of the lHlM) and treble parts at. will during the autonuuu: playing of the instrument.

I elann:-

1. In a player piano, in combination with 5 the piano action comprising the hammerrcst rail thereof, a pneumatic unit comprisvertically for forc-and-aft movement of its moving wall, and havin said moving wall pivoted at its lower end tor operating movement at its upper end, the entire pneumatic unit being mounted above the piano action substantially within the fore-and-aft depth of the space apportioned to the hammers and'hammcr rest rail of said action; a lever fulcrumed between its ends on the block, having its upper end connected with the moving member of the motor pneumatic,

I and its lower end engaging the hammer rest rail of the piano action for moving the latter rearward on collapse of the motor pneumatic. 4

In a player piano, in combination with the case and piano action comprising the lmnnner rest rail thereof, a pneumatic unit mounted in the case above the plano action and substantially within the fore-and-aft depth of the space apportioned to the hammers and the hammer rest rail of the piano I action, comprising a block and a motor pneumatic mounted thereon, having its mov- 3 ing member at the rear side thereof and pivoted at the lower end; a lever slidably fulerumed en the block and having its upper I end connected to the upper end of said moving a block having mounted on it a primary pneumatic and a valve actuated thereby, i and a motor pneumatic controlled by the valve; the motor pneumatic beingpositioned ing member and its lower end engaging the hammer rest rail.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Steger, Illinois, this 25th day of June, 1913.

EMIL SWANSON.

\Vitnesses:

H. t. WEI-ILAN, GEORGE RINGER. 

